20+ Popular J-Pop Girl idol Groups That You'll Love

Nowadays, Japan has a broad music industry and many idols to hear about.

Less internationally focused than the k-pop audience but highly popular locally and in some foreign countries, Japanese can also fancy their popular j-pop girl idol groups.

These women bands are also symbols of their booming entertainment industry alongside Japanese animes.

Wondering who are the top girl bands in Japan right now?

In this article, you’ll discover 20 popular J-pop girl groups that you’ll absolutely love!

20+ Popular J-Pop Girl Idol Groups That You'll Love

Here are the most popular J-pop girl idol bands.

=LOVE

=LOVE (with a nickname of Ikorabu) is an 11-member seiyuu idol band formed by Rino Sashihara.

The group is signed under the label Yoyogi Animation Academy.

= LOVE’s singles and albums are released under Sacra Music.

AKB48

You must know who AKB48 is, right?

They’re already a staple in the Japanese entertainment industry.

The band derived its name from the capital of Japanese pop culture, Akihabara, which AKB48 is based in.

They also have their own theater to meet fans and hold group performances.

AKB48 is the first 48-member girl group that Akimoto Yasushi produced.

Since AKB48’s debut in 2005, several '48 groups' have been established throughout Japan and other Asian countries.

Some include HKT48 (Hakata-Ku, Fukuoka), NGT48 (Niigata), TPE48 (Taipei), and MNL48 (Manila).

Unfortunately, the girl group has been disbanded in December, 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Angerme

Previously called S/mileage, ANGERME is a Japanese women's pop group that debuted as a unit within Hello! Project.

They ultimately changed their name in 2014 to celebrate the arrival of third-generation members in the group and establish a new image in the industry.

Babymetal

BABYMETAL is a kawaii metal band that debuted in 2011.

They were initially a sub-unit of a Japanese women idol group from Amuse Talent Agency called Sakura Gakuin.

But in 2013, after the release of their debut single, the band decided to become independent.

And October in 2018, YUIMETAL revealed that she would be leaving BABYMETAL to look after her health.

Beyooooonds

BEYOOOOONDS is a women's pop group that debuted under Hello! Project.

The band consists of three sub-groups: former Hello Pro Kenshuusei (Ame no Mori Kawa Umi and CHICA#TETSU) and one winner of Hello! Project’s ONLY YOU audition (SeasoningS).

BiSH

Among all the JPop girl groups listed here, BiSH (Brand-new idol SHiT) probably has an immense potential to grow their popularity in and out of Japan.

Despite only debuting in 2015, BiSH has gathered thousands of fans across the country.

Their label held 24 non-stop 1-hour concerts during their first-anniversary celebration in a single day called 24 Hour Party BiSH.

It was to thank their fans for their tremendous amount of support.

Denpagumi.inc

Denpagumi.inc has members who freely pursue their otaku interests while performing at DEARSTAGE in Akihabara.

They were formed in 2008 under the entertainment label MEME TOKYO.

While the band changed into the label Lantis in 2010, they still went back to MEME TOKYO before releasing their third single called “Future Diver.”

Hinatazaka46

Also known as Hiragana Keyakizaka46, Hinatazaka46 is a 46-member women idol group produced by Akimoto Yasushi.

Hinatazaka46 belongs to Sakamichi Series, an idol group franchise in Japan that began with Nogizaka46.

Juice=Juice

Juice=Juice is originally a five-member women idol group from Hello Pro Kenshuusei formed in early 2013.

“Hitori de Ikiraresou” tte Sore tte Nee, Homete Iru no? / 25sai Eien Setsu” is the group’s highest-selling single since their debut, selling over 80 000 copies across the country.

HKT48

HKT48’s name is actually short for Hakata48, based on a city in Japan called Hakata, Fukuoka.

They are AKB48’s third sister group, occasionally performing in a theater in Fukuoka Prefecture.

On November 26, 2011, HKT48’s first-generation members debuted, following their formation on October 23, 2011.

Momoiro Clover Z

Momoiro Clover (also called Momoclo) is a Japanese women's idol group formed in 2008.

They had their first single debut in 2009, leading to their major group debut in 2010 under Universal Records.

However, when Akari Hayami graduated from the band in April 2011, their entertainment label renamed the group as Momoiro Clover Z.

Momoclo is famous for its unconventional group concepts and acrobatic performances.

Morning Musume

Morning Musume, also called Morning Girls and Morning Musume ’21 (Morning Musume Two-One), is the lead girl idol group of Hello! Project.

They were initially formed on ASAYAN, a talent show airing in 1997.

And since then, the band has been a staple in Japanese top girl group rankings, producing several hit singles and albums.

Last Idol

Last Idol was initially formed in a music survival show produced by Akimoto Yasushi.

Currently, the band has a total of 33 members and has recruited 55 girls since its debut.

Fans refer to the several groups that were formed in the show as Last Idol Family.

NGT48

NGT48 is AKB48’s fourth sister group that debuted on January 10, 2016.

The idol group regularly performs in their own theater in Niigata Prefecture.

While the band received a good response from the public since their formation in 2015, they are now under controversy, forcing the management to dissolve the “team system.”

Currently, the members are separated into different generations instead.

Nogizaka46

Nogizaka46 is undoubtedly AKB48’s no. 1 rival in the industry.

Formed by the same producer as AKB48, Akimoto Yasushi, Nogizaka46 is a competitive 46-member girl group in Japan.

They consist of the cutest girls in every school in the entire country.

With visuals alone, Nogizaka46 can indeed compete with the biggest girl group known among Japanese fans.

Perfume

Perfume has been in the industry for over ten years already!

This group is known among fans and the general public to be the face of futuristic, electro-pop music in Japan.

Their last full-length album named “Future Pop” has taken significant steps in integrating future bass into their music.

Sakurazaka46

Initially known as Toriizaka46 and Keyakizaka46, Sakurazaka46 is a sister group to Nogizaka46, produced by Akimoto Yasushi.

The band was formed in 2015 and signed under the major label Sony Music Entertainment.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku

The band is also called Ebichu and King of Gakugeeeeka under 3Bjunior of Entertainment Section 3 and represented by a Japanese talent agency called Stardust Promotion.

After their official formation in 2009, Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku bore the concept of kawaii middle school students.

Super Girls

Super Girls (also called Supaga) debuted as iDOL Street’s flagship unit on June 12, 2010.

Of all the records and albums the group has released, their fifth single, “Puripuri SUMMER Kiss,” gave them the most success, selling over 92 000 copies in Japan.

Tsubaki Factory

Also referred to as Camellia Factory, Tsubaki Factory initially debuted as a six-member girl idol group under Hello! Project in April 2015.

As of July this year, the band now has a total of twelve members.

They also have a sister group called Kobushi Factory.

What is the Most Popular Japanese Girl Idol Group?

The most popular Japanese girl group is currently AKB48.

With over 2.53M subscribers on Youtube and more than 537K listeners per month on Spotify, the J-Pop girl group is famous globally.

What J-Pop girl groups are Good Starting Choices for a Beginner?

Actually there are 6 J-Pop girl groups that we recommend to listen to for a beginner: Perfume, BiSH, BabyMetal, Momoiro Clover Z, Morning Musume and AKB48.

Japan is a haven of kawaii pop and girl groups.

With so many girl idol bands performing and globally famous, there are many chances that you'll fall in love with at least one of them.

You can also discover some of their top hits in our best J-pop music hits of all time!

For those interested by their counterparts, take a look at our most popular Japanese boy bands list to find what're looking for!

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